Cigar:            Cuesta Rey Centro Fino Sungrown #7

Size:       50 x 4.5"

Country:    DR

Wrapper:    Cameroon, E

Binder:           DR

Filler:           DR

Flavor Strength:Mild-Medium

NicotineStength:Mild-Medium

Date Received:    2006-06-19

Suspected Age:    NA

Vendor/Price:     Gifted SkyhawkXP, ASC - Thanks!  JR/$4

Hype:       Made by Tabacalera Fuente. Cuesta Rey is a medium bodied cigar with a creamy flavor. Made with Dominican long-filler and Connecticut or Cameroon wrappers. Well-aged and smooth.  The Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino features a dark and oily sungrown wrapper that offers a fuller, more robust flavor than the standard Cuesta-Rey line.

Beverage(s):      Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Water

Smoke time:       0:45

Date:       2006-09-11

Posted to ASC:    2006-09-11

Overall score:    2.5 / 5.0

Sock color: White

Overall:    Starts mild with a unripe nuttiness, I term green nut.  Finish starts out a sharp, dry woodiness.  Progresses to very woody (oak) with a slightly sweet woody finish.  The middle was quite nice.  At the start of the last third it quickly turned ashy, like burnt paper.  Not a box purchase.

Ambience:   In the sunroom at dusk.  Contemplating the south wall which as a result of yesterday's deconstruction is 12 feet of plywood, no studs, with two large windows just floating in the plywood and a myriad of nail holes showing the evening sky beyond.  Just blowing on the wall flexes it as though the house is taking a breath.  Tomorrow another body arrives to help lift the 12+ foot header into place.  Then temporary sheathing until the door is delivered and the rough hole can be cut. 

Also making death notice phone calls to long lost friends of Keith.  Listening to Blowin' Smoke #19.

Appearance: The bands take up much of this short stout cigar.  These came off easily revealing a largish veined, dry, smooth, milk chocolate colored wrapper.  Soft and hard spots along length.  Nice long triple spiral cap. 

Cut & Prelight:   Leathery aroma with some nose tingling spice.  Cut well yielding an open draw and a musty, dusty draw flavor. 

First third:      Initially, green nut, slightly bitter.  Good smoke volume.  Dry finish.  The bitterness worked itself our quickly, leaving the green nut and a sharp dry hardwood finish.  Pretty mild.  Ash held to about an inch, light colored, friable, and a little flakey.

Second third:     Thankfully, the draw has restricted a little as the stick warmed.  Finish has sweetened a bit.  The green nut is gone, and now a slightly sweet, dry woodiness - oak. 

Third third:      Medium now.  At about 1.5" it became ashy, like burnt paper, and it was abandoned.  Long finish dry, slightly sweet oak.